


The sunshine fills my hair and dreams hang in the air

by nebuleia



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: AJ is a good kiddo, F/M, Future Fic, Gabe is a sweet boi but i needed awkward interactions for Drama, I will build this ship with my bare hands if I need to, Romantic Fluff, VERY SMALL HINT OF JESUS/JAVI, Written Before Episodes 2 - 4, theyre all like 20 here lmao, this is too happy for twd universe but whATEVER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-11 06:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15966464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebuleia/pseuds/nebuleia
Summary: "This is Gabe, old friend of mine,"The man in question winces, half expecting a snide touch of bluster for catching them under the alcove and is utterly unprepared for the sly, amused side-eye Clementine's friend (boyfriend?) gives her."Louis," He extends a hand, grin sunshine bright.





	The sunshine fills my hair and dreams hang in the air

**Author's Note:**

> Title credit goes to Katie Melua's Wonderful Life. I adore these wonderful characters with my entire heart dhdkjsh

She should be here by now. Gabe knows Clementine is capable; hell, probably more than the rest of them put together, with how frequently she goes trekking across country to wherever her group is holed up, coming back no worse for wear, apart from the occasional scrapes and bruises. Regardless, she's usually punctual and the herd migrating to the north of Richmond's walls has him worried. 

"I'm going out," He mutters, almost making it the gate before Javi puts a warning hand on his shoulder. 

"She'll be fine, buddy" His uncle assures him, ever gentle yet firm. 

"You don't know that," Christ, Gabe thought he'd outgrown the plaintive tone years ago as an emotionally compromised teen when his world falling to pieces, again.

Apparently not.  

Regardless, Javier doesn't appear to take any notice of it, gradually releasing his grip on Gabe's shoulder. He frustratingly relaxed about the entire thing and Gabe almost feels like blaming Jesus's ever frequent visits to Richmond and to the city's new baseball pitch for that eventual shift, but hey, it's as much Javi's fault for encouraging the man with frankly terrible flirting. 

"Just cause she could kick our asses doesn't mean she's invincible," Gabe spits, "You _know_ what it's like out there when you've got no one watching your back," 

He regrets the words the instant they fall from his tongue, pulling at the stitches of age old wounds. Javi for his part doesn't say anything, doesn't fly into David's customary rages nor bite and snarl as Gabe would have in days gone by. He merely gazes into the distance, jaw tight, fingers fluttering against the trigger of a pistol long ago fired and guilt squeezes at Gabe's throat. 

The walkers beyond the walls groan distantly and Javier pales ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," He croaks, kicking himself because _fuck_ , his uncle doesn't deserve more reminders of that day in addition to Richmond's gradually subsiding distrust, "That wasn't what I meant. It was unfair, I shouldn't have - " 

"It's fine, Gabe." 

It's not, it really isn't, but Javier ends the beginning of that discussion with a look before he even opens his mouth. They don't talk a lot about that day, about the junkyard before it; about any of it really. His uncle will, if pressed, but the pain that ripples across his face stifles Gabe's desire to ask very quickly. _Honour them, honour their lives_. As foolish and sanguine as it sounded, rebuilding Richmond had been a form of catharsis, watching crops flourish anew, children play in the open without fear and families live in relative peace given all that has happened. 

Bitter envy threatens to overwhelm on the worst of days, when the memories press cold and clammy against his mind's eye and his lost family begs and wails from within the clutches of the dead, and yet... _and yet_  for the most part, there is peace in this life. Or at least, a never-ending list of distractions from all that lurks at the edges of sleep. And Javi (occasionally David and his palpable conflict between crushing guilt and resigned excitement in the war of this new world), his uncle is still here, still teases him about his slowly improving pitch on the field and dedicates time to preserving the ties of what little Garcia family remains. 

A nudge against his shoulder startles him but it's just Javi who gestures into the distance. 

Gabe heaves a sigh of relief at the sight: Clementine must've come through the southern gate, already standing under the alcove carved into the nearby building leading to one of the three makeshift greenhouses. 

And she wasn’t alone. 

At her side, eyeing the passing crowd with what can only be described as cautious suspicion, is a kid around eleven or twelve with a rather adorable mop of curly hair. Must be the one Clementine left Richmond for in the first place, and Gabe can't help but smile. She always was more determined and resourceful than anyone gave her credit for. Hell, it's a big part of why she was his first love all those years ago. 

What he doesn't expect is the stranger walking towards them (is that a broken  _chair leg_?), pausing for an instant before curling an arm intimately around her waist. 

It's an odd feeling, not unpleasant, but somewhat startling, to see the person you once imagined holding hands with and the like, happy and content with their own lover. He's happy for her, if that's what the relationship is, she truly deserves happiness, but it's strange to brush off one last ache and the gentle sting of irrationally jealousy from a barely blossomed romance. 

It's odder still given that the Clementine he knew wasn't prone to overt displays of affection; instead scarred and brimming with righteous anger that abated only briefly in their company and in the wake of a fresh swell of grief. There's something peaceful to her now, some form of acceptance to the sadness that once twisted at her mouth. 

She presses an ever so lingering kiss to the underside of her lover's jaw and he smiles softly, stroking her calloused knuckles, while the kid rolls his eyes and pretends to gag. 

Then, because his luck was apparently still awful, both Clem, her friend and Javi manage to spot him staring at the trio. 

"Buddy, stop staring and go say hi," 

Javi looks insufferably pleased with himself at the embarrassed flush Gabe can _feel_ crawling down his throat. 

He brushes off the teasing and waves his friend down, smiling and trying to ignore the mildly suspicious glare the kid gives him. Clem's...friend stands a head taller than him which is slightly intimidating given the whole trench coat get up and the nail spiked chair leg of all things, but he trusts her, and she trusts the company she keeps, which should be enough for them all. 

She hugs him tightly without a thought, smile just as pretty as he remembers. 

"Hey," She says softly, a gentle familiarity present there, an echo of older days. 

"Hey yourself," Gabe smiles, patting her somewhat awkwardly on the arm. "You found your kid," 

A fleeting shadow passes over her face and he almost regrets mentioning it (Christ, everything holds bad memories for someone these days) before it passes and she nods. AJ is still eyeing him but hopefully the kid will ease up with time. Clementine's other companion says nothing, though appears utterly at ease despite everything, not a hint of hostility in his languid posture. 

"This is Gabe, old friend of mine,"

The man in question winces, half expecting a snide touch of bluster for catching them under the alcove and is utterly unprepared for the sly, amused side-eye Clementine's friend (boyfriend?) gives her.

"Louis," He extends a hand, grin sunshine bright.

Gabe shakes the offered hand, has the sneaking feeling that somehow, he isn't as much of a stranger to this man as he thought if Clementine's embarrassed expression and Louis's shit-eating grin are anything to go off.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed and I shall adore you forever!!


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